Tuesday 17 February 2015

A touch of spring I think



Although Sunday's weather (when we went to Malvern Fleamarket) was cold and foggy at the Fleamarket, today we had sunshine, and  the birds are singing more and more noticably with each day that passes.  Woodpeckers locally are drumming - and have been all this month - and two feisty cock Robins were having a ding-dong on the rockery last week.  Plus I have seen the first Daffs on our recent travels, and I have my first Crocus out in the garden.

Malvern was enjoyable, as it always is.  We were lucky it was a dry (if cold) day and there were lots of outside stalls, which always make it more interesting.  I had a game plan for what I wanted to buy, and ended up buying TOTALLY different stuff, but that's life, you have to buy what is available.  I didn't take any photos as the light levels were so poor, but you know the usual stuff which is there from past photos and visits.  A token Malvern photo up, which I'm sure I've used before.

The only trouble with Malvern is that is takes about 3 days to get over getting up half way through the night (3.30 a.m., to leave at 4.30 a.m. to get there before 7.30 a.m.)  We were like Zombies yesterday!  We drove in the dark until the pre-dawn light just before Hereford . . .




I've just come in from doing battle with the Brambles along the edge of the paddock.  We used to have a lovely little path along by the stream, and Fahly (my lovely Arab horse) used to love thundering up through there, breathing fire!  I have managed to cut right through the thicket of Brambles which was blocking the way - some of the growth was 15 feet or so in length.  I know I shall ache in bed tonight as my shoulders are already aching!, so it may be a case for a couple of Panadol at bedtime.  Still, I need to get myself fit again and get those muscles working which have been siting idle all winter.


Here I had just made a start.  You can see it's in Quite A State there . . .


Looks impenetrable doesn't it?  But I had secateurs and thick gloves, and determination.


As you can see, Ghengis decided he would help me.  There;s quite a bit of clearing of sickly young trees which needs doing along the stream bank, and a couple of diseased bigger ones to come out too.




I felt in a baking mood, and we needed a fresh loaf, I belatedly got that started and I had a hankering for a Lemon Drizzle cake, I made one of those as well.

Spelt and Golden Linseed Loaf:


And the Lemon Drizzle cake . . .


As it came out the oven.  Now pierced with a skewer and soaking up lemon juice and sugar.  Yum...

8 comments:

  1. Well done you for doing all those brambles. I too need to get moving more but the weather is so cold, so no motivation.
    Rosezeeta.

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  2. About 10 years ago After living here for many years we cut our way through brambles and black thorn right around the pond at the top of our field. It felt like being explorers - being able to walk where we hadn't before.
    How much more have you got to do?

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  3. BB That sounds like six week's work rather than a day!!

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  4. That is a lot of work.
    The Lemon Cake looks wonderful.
    I just made some Meyer lemon Cake. Two small loafs in the freezer. Waiting for summer company.

    cheers, parsnip

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  5. PA - the motivation for me was we need to fell a couple of diseased Ash trees and couldn't get to them easily because of the brambles. Plus it needed doing. Plenty more where they came from too!

    Smallholder - there is about a 40 yd stretch on the paddock edge, and then a little triangle of land behind the old mill pond (empty/dry) so plenty to keep me busy.

    Pat - It was about an hour and a half's work, and then my hand was aching from the secateurs so I came in for a well-earned cuppa. Back out there again today if it's dry.

    Parsnip - the lemon cake was the best I ever made - SO light and fluffy and lemony. A real prize-winner! I had to smile at your cakes waiting until the summer. I had a slice of mine still-warm . . .

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  6. The bread and cake look very tempting, nothing like a slice of warm cake with a cuppa.

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  7. I have often wondered as the light begins to return and spring is on the horizon, if our bodies also start to demand action and work. Hope you did not ache after all those brambles...

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  8. What a pile! I know that aching after work thing....then you can't work for a few days while it recovers!. I'm off the cake and have been for three months now. My mouth is watering but nine pounds lost so far.....seven more to go for my target. Then....lots of cake! xx

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